Katyń massacre

The Katyń massacre was a tragic event during World War II in 1940, when Soviet authorities executed around 22,000 Polish military officers, police, and intellectuals found in occupied eastern Poland. They were brutally killed and buried in mass graves near the town of Katyń. Stalin’s government aimed to eliminate Poland’s leadership and resistance. The massacre was secretly concealed at first, causing tension with Poland and other countries. It remained a sensitive issue, symbolizing Soviet repression and the atrocities committed during the war. The killings were recognized as a war crime and have had a lasting impact on Polish-Russian relations.